• Planting Hope CEO Julia Stamberger has been elected to the board of directors of the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) for a two-year term
• The PBFA is the leading trade association in North America representing the plant-based food industry, with more than 300 members
• Stamberger joins leaders from across the plant-based foods industry on the PBFA board, including Impossible Foods, Outstanding Foods, No Evil, Tofurky, Good Catch & Wicked Kitchen, Upton's Naturals, and Green Boy Group

CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 16, 2023 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly products, is proud to announce that CEO and Co-founder Julia Stamberger has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), the leading industry trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers in the plant-based foods industry. Founded in 2016, the PBFA plays a hands-on role in influencing policy and key issues of concern to its members, from FDA labeling guidance to advancement of plant-based foods across the industry from retailers to foodservice, data collection and analysis on plant-based food and consumer trends.

"I am thrilled to be elected to join the PBFA board of directors by its membership," said Planting Hope CEO and Co-founder Julia Stamberger. "Since the inception of the PBFA, the organization has worked to advance awareness of how the skyrocketing growth of plant-based food and beverages is permanently changing the way we eat. The PBFA is leading the discussion around plant-based and sustainable foods as the food landscape across channels, from grocery to foodservice, rapidly shifts focus to service consumer demand for more plant-forward and plant-rich diets."

The Planting Hope Company has been a member of the PBFA since July 2019, and its Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk and Mozaics™ Real Veggie Chips carry the PBFA certification and seal, certifying that they are fully plant-based (vegan). Planting Hope co-founder James Curley has served on the Sustainability Committee of the PBFA since March 2022.

Other new and existing board members elected to or serving 2-year terms include leaders at Impossible Foods, Outstanding Foods, No Evil, Tofurky, Good Catch & Wicked Kitchen, Upton's Naturals, and Green Boy Group.

"I am so pleased to welcome Julia Stamberger to the PBFA Board," said Rachel Dreskin, CEO of the Plant Based Foods Association. "PBFA serves the industry by being guided by the industry, and having pioneering leaders such as Julia in this governing role is critical to achieving our mission of championing, elevating, and strengthening our membership and the plant-based foods industry."

About the Plant Based Foods Association

PBFA was founded in 2016 in conjunction with the meteoric rise and rapid acceleration of the plant-based foods industry. As a growing number of consumers became interested in plant-based foods, there became a clear need for the industry to establish a collective voice to champion initiatives and advocate for government policies that ensure access to a fair marketplace, and that the supply of plant-based foods can meet growing consumer demand. PBFA is now 350 members strong, representing a diverse roster of plant-based food companies, ingredient suppliers, investors, and key stakeholders in the plant-based industry.

Additionally, the PBFA is part of the International Plant Based Foods Working Group (IPBFWG).

IPBFWG is a coalition of eight international plant-based food trade associations, including the Plant Based Foods Association (USA), Plant-Based Foods of Canada, European Alliance for Plant Based Foods, European Plant-based Foods Association, Plant-Based Food Alliance UK, the Plant Based Foods Industry Association (India), the Mexican Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs, and China Plant Based Foods Association, united in the effort to bring about a healthier, more sustainable, and more humane food system.

For more on the PBFA and its board and leadership, please see: www.plantbasedfoods.org.

About The Planting Hope Company Inc.
Planting Hope develops, launches, and scales uniquely innovative plant-based and planet-friendly food and beverage brands. Planting Hope's award-winning and cutting-edge products fill key unmet needs in the skyrocketing plant-based food and beverage space. The Planting Hope brand family includes Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk, Barista Blend Sesamemilk, and Sesamilk™ creamers, RightRice® Veggie Rice, Mozaics™ Real Veggie Chips, and Veggicopia® Veggie Snacks. Planting Hope products are currently found in more than 15,000 retail doors and 70,000 total distribution points across North America. Founded by experienced food industry entrepreneurs, Planting Hope is a women-managed and woman-led company focused on nutrition, sustainability, and representation.

For more information about Planting Hope please visit plantinghopecompany.com, sign up for Planting Hope news emails HERE and follow on LinkedIn.

An informational webinar on The Planting Hope Company from CEO and Co-Founder Julia Stamberger is available HERE.

To follow the brands on Instagram and Facebook, please visit: @hopeandsesameco, @rightrice, @mozaicschips, @veggicopia.

To find Planting Hope products at a store near you in the United States or Canada, please visit the store locator at each brand website: Hope and Sesame store locator, RightRice store locator, Mozaics store locator. Planting Hope products are also available at plantinghopebrands.com and ecommerce retailers including Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

Contacts

Company Contact:
Julia Stamberger
CEO and Co-Founder
(773) 492-2243
julia@plantinghopecompany.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital
(905) 326-1888 ext. 1
glen@bristolir.com

Media Contact:
Alex Jessup, Jessup PR
(323) 529-3541
alex.jessup@jessuppr.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about the Company's ability to execute on its goals, the timing pertaining to these goals the potential demand for the Company's products, the timing and success of anticipated product launches and distribution of the Company's products, and the Company's business prospects, future trends, plans and strategies. In some cases, forward looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "continues", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. In preparing the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that demand for the Company's product will be sustained or increase in accordance with management's projections, that the Company's internal research and analysis is indicative of broader market trends and the Company's anticipated future demand for its products, that changes in consumer preferences in the plant-based food industry will continue in accordance with the Company's expectations, that the Company's current business objectives can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting its industry can be found in the Company's annual information form dated January 6, 2022 and the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc.